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Saturday, June 30, 2012

What is so great about vote buying?

We probably should have anticipated what was more to come after the the legendary and trade mark setting sentence of "you help me, I help you" vote buying rallying call in Sibu.

Since then it is disbursement here, there any everywhere.

The total bill we tax payer has to foot, 11 weeks into the prime minister's creation of feel good feeling during his trade secret period is RM606.68 million.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The government had disbursed RM608.68 million over 11 weeks to the people through Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's and his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin's official nationwide visits.According to a parliamentary written reply, the "urgent allocation" approved from January to March 15 was handed out during their 14-state visit, with Perak recording the highest at RM220.38 million for 34 projects.

Jerai PAS MP Mohd Firdaus Jaafar on Tuesday had asked the Prime Minister's Department to list to all the allocations approved for the prime minister's official tour of the states.

Allocations for Johor ranked second, with RM201.40 million doled out for 24 projects, while the Federal Territories came in third with RM63.25 million dispensed for nine projects.

Najib’s recent marathon forays to Perak and Selangor focussed on opposition-held areas, distributing goodies and promises to boost BN’s popularity, had fuelled speculation that polls might be announced soon.

While RM606.68 million seems huge, it represent a minor investment to secure BN's continue power hold and loose change to wealth generation and preservation of those who waltz in the corridor of power and its lucky associates. The added bonus is that your lenders, being the tax payers, have no recourse against your personal assets, unlike a normal businessman or housebuyer begging support from a tightly regulated financial instituion.

When one is in power, getting a commission of RM500 million from 1 transaction is possible.

This scandal involving Malaysia’s purchase of two Scorpene submarines is of concern also to French tax payers because it involves France’s biggest defense conglomerates, the state-owned shipbuilder DCN. DCN’s subsidiary Armaris manufactures the Scorpene submarines sold to Malaysia among other countries.

It has already been brought up in the Malaysian Parliament that €114 million (RM500 million) has been paid to a Malaysia-based company called Perimekar, for “coordination and support services” for the submarines transaction. Perimekar was wholly owned by another company, KS Ombak Laut Sdn Bhd, which in turn was controlled by Najib’s aide, Razak Baginda. Baginda’s wife Mazlinda was the principal shareholder in this company. Perimekar was registered in 2001, a few months before the signing of the contracts for the sale and the company did not appear to have the financial resources to complete the contract. None of the directors and shareholders of Perimekar have any experience in the construction or maintenance of submarines-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Closer to home, and impacting every person directly, would be toll charges. We either pay directly from our wallet/Touch and Go card or Smart Tag, or pay for it (AGAIN) when we purchase all goods and services which cost of goods would have to built in such toll charges as business expense, before adding on margin on padded cost.

From the audited accounts of Plus Berhad below, we can see that toll revenue collected by Plus is RM2,500 million a year, plus RM800 million compensation a year alone.

From the compensation of RM800 million a year, they can afford to pay RM800 million dividend a year. If they can pay out the entire compensation as dividend, I do not know what we are compensating for.

KUALA SELANGOR: Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin recommend to Cabinet that the government should give the people second round of BR1M (Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia). He said that this matter was discussed in the cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, yesterday.

Distribution in BR1M previously granted to 4.2 million households that earn less than RM3, 000 a month involving an allocation of RM2.1 billion.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RM2.1 billion won't be too bad if you can retain power and enter another USD900million / RM2.7 billion deal again.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Malaysia's air force received two Russian-made fighter planes Thursday, hailing them as a boost to its ability to deter any military threats.

The planes are the first of 18 Sukhoi-20MKM jets Malaysia ordered in 2003 in a US$900 million deal. Officials have said the purchase will make Malaysia one of Asia's largest operators of the high-tech jet after India and Vietnam. Royal Malaysian Air Force Chief Azizan Ariffin signed a certificate of receipt for the two planes Thursday in the Siberian city of Irkutsk, where he met with representatives of Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport and jet manufacturer Irkut, national news agency Bernama reported.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And on top of the USD900 billion, there are aslo notable fringe benefits, like

Sime Darby is reported to have incurred an estimated cost over-run of RM1.7 billion on a Bakun Dam contract worth RM1.8 billion. It is understood the government has agreed to reimburse Sime around RM0.7 billion, leaving the firm to absorb the remaining RM1 billion, The Star reported.------------------------------------------------------------------------------

and of course the mother of all tax payers' bill, the RM12 billion PKFTZ.

So while Ah Jib Kor does spread our money around, do take it, it is just a small rebate from what we have been paying for the past 50 decades.

Pakatan Rakyat led state administration initiated this direct payment to rakyat via their Mesra Usia Emas programme, RM100 payment to old folks etc. Barisan Nasional federal administration, controlling almost the entire source of finance of the nation, have no choice but to break tradition and follow suit.

However, while Pakatan Rakyat state governments pay out from savings and surpluses from by comparison meagre state controlled income sources, Barisan Nasional federal government raised debts and increases deficits to recoup lost political mileage. The longer the vote buying goes, the more inevitable that recouping measures such as GST, 1Care Malaysia, RM2,000 traffic offences fine etc will have to be implemented.

Notice also that there is no Barisan Nasional state government that is empowered or able to match Pakatan State Governments in direct aid to rakyat? Probably they can not generate similar savings and return to the assessment paying rakyat.